How Yoga and Exercise Affect Your Health

by Whisper21

It’s hard not to miss the benefits of yoga and exercise posted everywhere we look. We see ads for exercise machines that help burn fat and tone muscle. We see yoga mats and bricks used to stretch our sides, arch our backs, and reduce stress overall. But there are added benefits to both that don’t normally get enough recognition. That is what this article is about.

"It's never too late to become what you might have been."

— George Elliot

Yoga is Good for You

Yoga is a relaxing thing we should all do in the morning as a calm and pain free way to start our day, right? Of course you should do yoga every day since it is a huge stress reliever and it kick-starts your day with a boost of serotonin to cut cravings and help you get and keep a lean and flexible body (Check Out the List Here). We all know those things, but did you know yoga can be a real workout? Check out this lady. See how perfectly relaxed she is doing this pose? Do you know her abs are burning and she’s sweating bullets? Do you know how that is totally good for her to be able to burn calories, work muscles, AND stay calm and focused during the whole thing? Sign me up! If you want to do some simple yoga poses today go Here for a few beginner tips and poses to regulate your breathing and release some of that stress while toning up.
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At risk of sounding like a “oh much more enlightened than thou” person, I know from personal experience that the breathing exercises involved in yoga give your mind more clarity and help provide a sort of strength of spirit that comes from little else. When I do yoga daily, it does all of the following for me: my back pain goes away, I have fewer cravings and eat healthier overall, my circulation blood pressure and overall heart health improve, I stress less and my depression becomes much more manageable, I have more energy, fewer headaches, and sleep better at night.

Exercise is Good for You

What about exercise? I know you are thinking, “Surely yoga can’t totally replace that heart pounding muscle building fat burning cardio and weight training?” You would be right! Cardio exercises are great to boost heart health (though beware that you Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard). Using lower weights and more reps can increase your endurance (think bedroom!). Also, if you work out in the morning, there are some who say that you will continue burning calories long after your workout. Think it’s all work and no fun? Think about your favorite upbeat song. Now think about running to that beat on a treadmill for those 3 or 4 minutes and feeling like a movie star. Drink some water. Repeat.

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Of course I have some suggestions from my own personal routines that you may or may not want to follow. I find I can work out better and longer if I have a nice snack high in protein about 30 minutes before my session. I hate the consistency of bananas but they are a great natural energy bar and come in their own biodegradable wrappers so I usually go for one of those. I also suggest you start drinking water before your workout and spend plenty of time stretching so you don’t pull something by asking too much of it all at once. It is very important to keep drinking water to replace all the water you are losing on those designer gym shorts. Take frequent short breaks between reps to drink water and breathe deeply. Also there are some pretty nice post-workout snacks out there so you can celebrate your victory over the elliptical without undoing all your hard work.

Conclusion

I’m not perfect. I’ll admit I don’t work out or do yoga even three times a week like I should. But the health benefits are there, and just because we’ve fallen behind doesn’t mean we can’t get back on that horse and do it again. Working out and doing yoga are important to our bodies. We should keep trying and make the time for that. Let’s not give up on our bodies; after all they are the only ones we get.